NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 483 We haven't reached the edge of the cliff yet.

To compensate for the defensive shortcomings of the Harrell-Louise duo, the Clippers proactively implemented a zone defense during transition periods.

Zone defenses are most vulnerable to three-pointers and free-throw line play. The Warriors have players who can facilitate from the free-throw line during transitions, but they lack three-pointers.

Neither Iguodala nor Livingston are good at three-pointers, while McGee and David West don't shoot them at all.

The Warriors were going to play a long rotation, so the Clippers targeted their shooting ability during those transition periods. They anticipated the Warriors wouldn't go all-in with their small-ball lineup in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, so the Clippers focused on their starting center.

The Clippers coaching staff's game plan wasn't just for one game, but for an entire series. They considered various opposing lineups and countermeasures, from starters to reserves.

Of course, plans are ultimately just theoretical; they can only be truly implemented when you actually have the players to achieve them.

The starting lineup has five foreign players, including a superstar like Jia Fei. The bench has a pick-and-roll combination that can consistently score, as well as defensive stalwarts like Art Mayok and Dillon, which can support them in carrying out the coaching staff's plans.

The Warriors were effectively contained by the Clippers' targeted tactics. The Clippers' aggressive defense took a heavy toll on the Warriors' stamina, and by the second half, fatigue set in, making it impossible for them to keep up with the Clippers' pace on both offense and defense.

Ultimately, the Clippers easily defeated the Warriors 99-112 at home, winning Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.

贾飞全场贡献32分10个篮板12次助攻2个抢断1个盖帽的三双数据，他控制比赛的能力得到了又一次完美的展示。

The Warriors only scored 99 points, not even 100, which, while highlighting their fatigue and poor performance, also showcased the Clippers' excellent perimeter defense.

The Clippers will influence Game 1, just like they did in last season's Western Conference Finals. The difference this time is that they are more confident, better prepared, and have more tricks up their sleeves and adjustments yet to be used.

Compared to Coach Li's open-handed management a year ago, Coach Buden's plan is clearly more appropriate and practical, and it also has a backup plan, making the opponent hesitant to reveal their hand easily.

Everyone in the home team's locker room was happy after the game, but Jia Fei suddenly poured cold water on their enthusiasm: "Guys, we should be happy to win, but this isn't the Warriors' true strength. The real battle will begin when they start their 'death lineup'. Don't relax until the very last moment. Last season, we also had a big lead, but we still lost! I don't want to lose again. As long as we don't underestimate our opponents and relax, I believe we will be the ones to make it to the Finals this season!"

Jia Fei's words made the atmosphere in the locker room a bit more serious. Jia Fei didn't really want to spoil everyone's fun, but this was the Western Conference Finals, and the opponent was the Warriors. If they still thought that the opponent would be defeated immediately like they did with the Spurs and Trail Blazers, they would suffer a great loss.

The next day, Coach Buden approached Jia Fei and asked, "Jia, do you think the Warriors will start with their 'death lineup' in the next game?"

Jia Fei shook his head: "The possibility is less than 4%. They might use this lineup at some point in the game, but I think it's unlikely that they'll start with the 'death lineup'. They're not on the brink of elimination yet."

Coach Budenholzer completely trusts Jia Fei's judgment, and so far, Jia Fei's assessments haven't been wrong. He also believes the Warriors don't consider Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals to be the decisive battle; they have boundless confidence in their "Death Lineup," and even if they fall behind 0-2, they believe they can turn the tide with it. So far, since Durant joined the team, the Warriors haven't lost a single series.

In other words, after deploying their "death lineup," the Warriors have never lost in the playoffs. Their semifinal matchup against the Rockets was the first time they were pushed to the brink, but they ultimately managed to pull through.

May 19, Western Conference Finals Game 2, Staples Center, Los Angeles.

The stadium was packed with people, every seat was taken. The spectators in the front row were all wealthy and influential; tickets for these seats were extremely expensive.

The Clippers didn't change their lineup in this game, but the Warriors did!

The Warriors have adjusted their starting lineup; Zaza Pachulia is no longer in the starting lineup, and Looney has taken over.

Rooney doesn't have a three-point shooting ability and is only 206cm tall, but he has an ability that neither McGee nor Zaza has: he can switch on defense.

Yes, he can switch on screens when Jafki and Olynyk run pick-and-rolls. Of course, it's unrealistic to expect him to guard Jafki one-on-one, but he can definitely switch, while Zaza and McGee can't. They either delay double-team or retreat, so they simply can't switch.

In today's NBA, where pick-and-roll is prevalent, a small-ball lineup center who can switch quickly on defense is highly sought after. Tristan Thompson, nicknamed "The Eighth Prince," who averaged 8 points and 8 rebounds, secured a 5-year, $8000 million contract simply because of his ability to switch on defense and grab offensive rebounds. It's worth noting that Thompson has virtually no shooting ability, his rim protection is poor for a center, his offensive rebounding is good, but his defensive rebounding is mediocre. As for playmaking ability and strong ball-handling skills, he lacks them entirely.

This is what the current small-ball era of the NBA demands of interior players. You may not have a shot, but you must have a special ability, either to switch on defense or to be an excellent rim protector and rebounder. You can't be too slow, otherwise you won't be able to keep up defensively or in transition.

With Looney starting, the Clippers didn't run many of the same plays as the previous game, where Olynyk facilitated from the top of the key. Instead, they started by having Paul George run pick-and-rolls to create mismatches against Looney, and Jia Fei run pick-and-rolls to create mismatches against Looney, while Jia Fei also specifically targeted Curry.

The reason Paul George doesn't specifically target Curry is that Curry and Durant have excellent chemistry, making it difficult to create a switch for George to attack. Furthermore, George's ability to target specific players isn't good; sometimes he misses and wastes a lot of offensive time. This was already a lesson learned in the regular season, so the coaching staff didn't use this method in the playoffs.

The only player who can be specifically named is Jia Fei, while the role of Pao Jiao is to create space for Jia Fei to receive the ball and launch a second attack, or to help him play a few rounds to relieve some of the pressure.

The Clippers didn't have such a player last season, so in the end Jia Fei was really exhausted by the opponents.

As for Gallinari, he was completely contained by Green, but that's not his fault. Green is a Dopby-level defender, and there's nothing shameful about being contained by such a defender.

However, it was precisely because of Gallinari's presence that Green couldn't completely leave him to help defend. Gallinari's presence also tied up Green, making him an unsung hero for the Clippers.

Looney's starting role did have an effect, making the Warriors' rotation and help defense faster and reducing the Clippers' offensive efficiency to some extent.

However, his presence didn't help the team perform better on offense. With Green and Looney starting together, even a team like the Warriors would struggle with spacing. Looney isn't a better shooter than JaVale McGee; in fact, his screen setting isn't as good as McGee's, and his finishing ability is even worse.